How to Volunteer at the Olympics: A Guide to Paris 2024

Updated July 19, 2023. How to Volunteer at the Olympics was originally written in November 2018.

Sitting at the edge of your seat at home watching athletes like Simone Biles, Usain Bolt or Allyson Felix will never feel the same as being on your feet, cheering loudly with an entire crowd in an Olympic stadium.

The energy is unreal.

The chance to be a part of the Summer Olympic Games only comes every four years and the next opportunities to volunteer will be Paris 2024 and LA 2028!

The next Olympics Games are set to take place in Paris, France from July 14 to August 10, 2024, while the Paralympic Games will happen August 21 to September 11.

Volunteer applications are open to all nationalities. The application period for the Paris 2024 Volunteer Program is now closed, but there are still other ways to volunteer.

Keep reading for a guide on how to volunteer at the Olympics.

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How to Volunteer at the Olympics

Why Volunteer at the Olympics?

Being a Games Volunteer at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was one of the best experience I’ve had. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

There is something for everyone at the Olympics.

Watch athletes make history right in front of your eyes. Learn about new cultures. Experience a new city. Make lifelong friends from all over the world.

You get to be part of a global event that billions of people watch from home!

The coolest thing is that your main job as a volunteer is to raise the level of excitement for the Olympic Games!

Say, what?

Another way you will help with the success of the games is to adhere to the vision of the Paris 2024 Games: open to everyone, inclusive and equal!

Pin Trading

Trading commemorative pins at the Olympics is a BIG deal. You can expect to trade pins with athletes, volunteers and spectators.

Join in on the fun and bring pins from your home country. I’ll make sure to bring pins from Alaska the next time I volunteer.

Team Hospitality Houses

Olympic hospitality houses are common throughout Olympic host cities.

Houses are either free and open to the public or restricted to Olympians and their guests, like the U.S. House, Canada House or Great Britain House.

I was lucky enough to visit the Team USA House during the Rio Olympics because of a connection with an International Olympic Committee member in Alaska and it was a very cool and memorable experience!

Most houses are a place to showcase a countries culture. Rio 2016 had 30 official houses. The Portugal House was on a historic boat. The German House was situated right on Leblon Beach and you could buy German beer and food. Holland Heineken House and Club France were known as the places to party.

Paris 2024 has announced a Pride House. The creation of a Pride House enables everyone to meet together within a safe space to support the fight against all forms of discrimination relating to gender and sexual orientation.  

Some houses require pre-registration and/or an entrance fee. Make sure to keep your eye on this because these experiences are not to be missed!

Who Can Volunteer at the Olympics?

London 2012 had 78,000 volunteers, Rio 2016 had 50,000 volunteers, Tokyo 2020 sought out 80,000 volunteers, and Paris 2024 is looking for 45,000 volunteers.

Volunteer applications are accepted from all over the world in order to meet this number.

There are no qualifications to be a volunteer but there are some basic requirements for Paris 2024:

• 18 years old by January 1, 2024
• Speak French and/or English
• Be available for at least 10 days
• Participate in training sessions
• Fulfill your role through to the end
• You have a desire to be part of a team
• Basic knowledge of Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Valid license or credentials for specific roles
• Volunteering experience is preferred

What is the Paris 2024 Games Vision?

Each Olympic Games has a Games Vision to help ensure its success. The Paris 2024 Games Vision is:

“At the heart of Paris 2024 is a firm belief that sport can change lives. 

• Sport arouses emotions that make life more intense.
• Playing sport leads to healthier, more fulfilling lives.
• Sport encourages values that make societies more inclusive.
• Sport has the power to change everything, improving education health, social inclusion and community spirit.”

Do You Need to Know More Than One Language?

You do not need to know more than one language to be a volunteer. There are many volunteer roles that do not require language skills.

However, you will either need to be fluent in one of the official languages of the games. For Paris 2024, it’s French or English.

You will have to provide an answer to your language proficiency level on your application. Even if you only know one word, you can select “beginner.”

A lot of athletes, spectators, and volunteers will be traveling from all over the world and you will find that a lot of people will speak English.

As with traveling to any foreign country, you may find that you’ll enjoy your experience more if you can communicate at a basic conversational level.

What are the Different Volunteer Opportunities?

There are many different volunteer opportunities at the Olympics. You will complete a role-matching exercise to determine the tasks you’re best suited for as a volunteer at the games.

During Rio 2016, I worked as an Event Services Team Member in the Events Category. My role varied daily from guiding spectators to their seats by wearing a giant inflatable pointer finger on my hand to helping translate basic Portuguese for spectators going through security checks.

Here are some examples of different volunteer opportunities for Paris 2024:

1. Supporting the quality of the experience for all Games stakeholders
   • Welcoming people from around the world
   • Providing guidance and support at the heart of the venues
   • Providing information in the event of difficulties or directing people to the right contacts
   • Providing information on various programs
   • Transporting the Games stakeholders between the venues
   • Assisting the medical staff – for volunteers with a medical degree
2. Supporting sports performance
   • Getting involved at competition or training venues to support sporting achievements
   • Inputting sports information on timings, rankings, statistics
   • Assisting the athletes in their reserved spaces at the competition and training venues, supporting them in connection with anti-doping tests
   • Assisting the medical staff at the Athletes’ Village polyclinic or the competition and training venues
3. Ensuring that the organization is fluid and runs smoothly 
   • Being involved in the accreditation process to enable certain Games stakeholders to access reserved areas
   • Distributing useful equipment to the Games stakeholders
   • Assembling and installing small-scale communications equipment

How Much Does it Cost to Volunteer?

Volunteering for the Olympics does have its associated costs. For the most part, you are on your own and must book your own travel and accommodations.

Transportation

You will have to pay for transport to/from the host city. You can wait to do this when you have confirmation that you’ve been accepted as a volunteer.

Accommodations

Accommodations are a huge expense of any travel budget.

In Rio 2016, you had to find you own accommodations. During the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, volunteers were put up with nearby accommodations. You were on your own in Tokyo 2020 and this will be the same for Paris 2024.

I stayed in Rio de Janeiro for a month and prices were incredibly inflated during the time surrounding the Olympics. The cost to stay at a hostel in a shared dorm was nearly $100 USD/night – so expensive!

Luckily, I managed to find a couchsurfing host for most of the time I was in Rio.

There are many different types of accommodations for budget travelers, you could find a host on Couchsurfing or find accommodations on Booking.com.

Daily Budget

You will also need daily spending money for food, game tickets or other activities. The current exchange rate is 1 Euro = 1.12 USD.

What Do You Get as a Volunteer?

There are a few different perks of being a volunteer:

1. You will be provided with a set of originally designed Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteer uniforms (shirt, jacket, pants, hat, shoes, bag).
2. Food and drinks will be provided on your working days.
3. Travel expenses within the city will usually be covered. In Rio, we were given a Metro Card and Tokyo 2020 offered 1,000 yen/day.
4. You may also get a few pairs of tickets for various sport competitions. I received tickets for two games in Rio!
5. BONUS. A huge perk as a volunteer is the power of having a volunteer badge! Use your badge to enter side entrances into some of the Olympic houses around the city. It might not work for all of the houses but it definitely helps. Take advantage of it!

How to Apply to be an Olympic Games Volunteer?

Applying to be an Olympic Games Volunteer is easier than you think. There’s no harm in submitting an application if you’re unsure where you’ll be in 2024 or 2028.

You can always withdraw your application at a later date.

In order to complete your application, you will need your passport, a photo for your ID, and any language proficiency test results if applicable.

Learn about Paris 2024 and start your volunteer application here. (APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED)

Application Procedure

1. Complete a new registration
2. Pick a volunteer program
3. Complete exercise and application form
4. Access your volunteer portal for updates

Application Timeline

The entire Olympic volunteer application process takes two years. It may seem like a long time but it’s so worth it.

• March 2023: Applications are accepted.
• May 2023: Applications closed.
• September to December 2023: Applicants to be notifications for interviews
• Spring 2024: General training for all roles
• Summer 2024: Distribution of uniforms
• July 14, 2024: Let the Olympic Games begin!
• August 24, 2024: Let the Paralympic Games begin!

Group Interviews

If you are outside of France, you will most likely interview in a group video call with other people from all over the world.

The interview is a mix of receiving basic information about the Olympics and answering a few questions about why you want to be a volunteer.

During the interview, our moderator left us to have a group discussion, which seemed to be a team-building activity.

By the end of the interview, I had no clue as to how they decide who would be accepted as a volunteer.

The best advice is to show that you’re an enthusiastic, team player.

Other ways to volunteer at the Olympic Games

Is it too late to volunteer? The answer is yes and no. The application period for Paris 2024 is now closed. Of course, it’s always possible for applications to open up again if they don’t find enough volunteers. However, hundreds of thousands of people usually apply to volunteer so the chances are pretty slim.

But, there is another way into the Olympics as a volunteer… You can apply to volunteer with a specific team committee, like Team USA or Team Canada! Each country has an Olympic Committee that helps to employ and find volunteers to assist them during the games. So, make sure to check with your home team’s Olympic Committee for these opportunities.

Since I didn’t make it to the interview stage during Tokyo 2020, I applied to volunteer with Team USA. After a phone interview, I was accepted to be a volunteer. I was so excited for this experience but was saddened when they cancelled their volunteer program due to the ongoing pandemic.

Earlier this year, I reached out to the committee again to get current information about the Team USA Paris 2024 volunteer program, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve applied and interviews will be happening soon!

Next Steps For Olympic Volunteers

If you want to volunteer at the Olympics, you will want to stay ahead of the games (pun intended). Knowing when the games are happening, will ensure you are aware of application periods (usually two years in advance). Both the summer games and winter games look for volunteers, although the winter games are much smaller.

Not much information about volunteering for LA 2028 is out yet. But, here are some things you can do now if you want to volunteer at the next Olympic Games:

• Follow LA 2028 on Instagram.
• Sign up to receive updates about volunteers for LA 2028.
• Join a Facebook Group like LA 2028 Olympic Volunteers.
• Join a WhatsApp Group to make friends (usually discovered in Facebook Groups).

When are the next Olympic Games?

• 2024: Paris (Summer)
• 2026: Milan Cortina (Winter)
• 2028: Los Angeles (Summer)
• 2030: TBA (Winter)
• 2032: Brisbane (Summer)

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Pin For Later

Do you have questions how to volunteer at the Olympics for Paris 2024 or LA 2028 ? Let me know in the comments.